End-gate fastener.



No. 642,628. Patented Feb. 6, I900. J. A. RATCLlFF.

END GATE FASTENER.

(Application filed July 22, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOSIAH ALONZO RATOLIFF, OF GILMAN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOMPSON G. NEELEY, OF SAME PLACE.

END-GATE FASTEN-ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,628, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed July 22, 1899. Serial No. 724,859. (No model.)

, To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH ALONZO RAT- CLIFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gilman, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful End-Gate Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates to end-gate fasteners; and it consists of two double eyebolts secured, respectively, to the sides of the wagon-body, to each of which are loosely secured links provided at their free ends with hooks adapted to engage each other. To the outer end of one of the eyebolts a double cam is suitably pivoted, said cam working upon a grooved bearing-plate secured to the side of the wagon-body. v

The object of my invention is to produce a simple, cheap, and effective fastener, all parts of which are adapted to remain secured to the wagon-body, thereby obviating the annoyance of lost parts.

In the drawings which accompany this description and form a part of my application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear end of a wagon body and gate with my invention attached. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, the fastener being unlocked.

1 represents a wagon-body, of approved construotion,broken away; 2,the guide-plates secured to the sides of the same, between which the gate 3 is adapted to slide up and down.

4: are hooks secured near each end of the gate 3.

5 is a bolt secured to one side of the body 1, with a washer 7 interposed between the body and head of the same. The inner end of the bolt is bent to form an eye 6.

8 is a tie rod or link, one end of which is bent to form an eye 9, which is securely fastened in the eye 6 of the bolt 5, thereby making a loose joint between the two. The other end of the rod 8 is bent back upon itself to form a hook 10.

11 is a bolt slidably secured in an opening in the other side of the wagon-body and provided with eyes 12 and 13 upon its respective ends.

14 is a rod similar to the rod 8, having an eye on one end adapted to loosely engage the eye 12 on the rod or bolt 11, while the free end of the rod 14 is provided with a hook 15,

.gaged with one another.

which when the rods 8 and 11 are in a horizontal position is at right angles to the hook 10.

16 is a bearing-plate secured to one side of the wagon-body and provided with vertical grooves 17.

18 is a clamping device comprising a piece of wire bent upon itself at 19, then bent backward at 20 at an angle less than a right angle, the ends terminating in eyes 21 and 22. The ends of this clamp are joined by means of a rod 23, on each end of which is joined an eye that is loosely secured in the respective eyes 21 and 22 of the clamp. This rod 23 is also engaged by the eye 13 on the outer end of the rod 11.

It will readily be seen that in order to secure the end-gate in place the rods 8 and 14 are raised and rested upon the hooks 4 and the rod 11 pushed inward as far as possible in order that the hooks l0 and 15 may be en- The hooks being engaged, pressure is exerted upon the long arms of the clamp, thereby causing the points at 20to slide upward in the grooves 17 until the long arms are pressed flat against the bearing-plate, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby drawing the rod 14 outward and holding it and the rod 8 rigid in a horizontal position and, in conjunction with the hooks 4, securing the end-gate against displacement.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is'- In an end-gate fastener, the combination with a rigid eyebolt, secured to one side of a wagon-body,a rod having a hooked end loosely connected to said eyebolt, of a slidable double eyebolt secured in the other side of the wagon-body, a rod having a hooked end loosely connected to the double eyebolt, hooks in the end-gate to support the rods horizontally and a clamp comprising a piece of wire bent upon itself, then bent backward at an angle less than a right angle and terminating in eyes and a rod connecting the free end of said clamp, said rod being secured to the outer end of the double eyebolt, and a grooved bearing-plate upon which the clamp works.

JOSIAH ALONZO RATOLIFF.

Witnesses:

T. G. NEELEY, CARL STOUT 

